WEEI

April 14, 2014 at
4:00 PM

Mookie Betts (pictured) meteoric rise from a generally unknown player to substantial prospect has continued into the 2014 season as the 21-year-old has gotten off to a torrid start. In nine games in Double-A Portland, Betts is 16 for 35 with 11 runs, and 4 steals. His line to start the season is .467/.512/.743.

Alex Speier of WEEI.com takes a look back at Betts ascension last season in a piece that includes comments from Red Sox minor league hitting coordinator Tim Hyers.

Portland left-hander Henry Owens is also off to a fast start having yet to give up a run in 12 2/3 innings while striking out 18 for the Sea Dogs. In this piece for SportsonEarth.com, Tim Casey caught up with Owens to discuss, among other things, the beginning of his season.

Betts and Owens aren't the only ones turning heads, as Garin Cecchini has impressed in the early going at Pawtucket, writes Paul Kenyon of the Providence Journal. Despite his hot start, the Sox won't rush him, writes Kevin McNamara in a separate piece for the Journal.

Manuel Margot has also gotten off to a strong start for the Greenville Drive. His early season success was punctuated by a two home run game last week. Sam Dykstra from Milb.com broke down Margot's two-homer performance, highlighting how the long ball has not really been Margot's bread and butter.

In the latest edition of the System Restart, Executive Editor Chris Hatfield and Director of Scouting Ian Cundall look at the system's low minors pitchers. Among those highlighted in the piece are Trey Ball, Ty Buttery,and Daniel McGrath.

Hatfield, Cundall, and Managing Editor Matt Huegel got together on the podcast this week to talk about the first week and a half of action among the affiliates, with a specific focus on the goings on at Triple-A Pawtucket.

Speier writes that an early season bullpen session may be the eureka moment for Pawtucket right-hander Rubby De La Rosa, who has been up and down since acquired by the Red Sox in 2012. His results are backing that up, as De La Rosa has yielded only four hits and two walks in his first 10 1/3 innings on the season.

Michael Silverman of The Boston Herald takes a look at the Red Sox's "well-seeded" farm system and catches up with Sox Farm Director Ben Crockett about the system's strength and approach to promoting players.

In his weekly mailbag, the Boston Globe's Nick Carfado touches on a few Sox minor league topics, including the prospects of seeing Christian Vazquez this year, what happens to Jackie Bradley Jr. when Shane Victorino comes back and how Cecchini and Betts fit into the major league picture.

The first SoxProspects.com Players of the Week of the season were named a few days ago. Taking home the honors for the first week of the season areBettsandOwens. In his first four games of action, Betts went 9 or 17 and posted a batting line of .529/.556/.882. Owens (pictured) did not yield a hit in his first six innings of work, striking out nine and walking only two.